OLDER PARENTS’ PATTERNS OF AGREEMENT AND INFORMATION SHARING WITH ADULT CHILDREN AND THEIR EMOTIONAL OUTCOMES

Abstract The current study examined the effect of older parents’ pattern of agreement/disagreement with their adult children’s perceptions of their functional ability and their information disclosure/non-disclosure to their adult children on their ambivalent, positive, and negative emotions. Older parents, N=263, Mage=75.06, SD=5.49, participated in an online survey. Participants’ agreement with adult children’s ideas and caregiving practice to support 10 life issues were assessed by five categories: 1=agree, 2=disagree, 3=it depends, 4=it is not my issue, and recorded into 0=agree, 1=fully/partially disagree/not my issue. Participants’ information sharing on the same items was assessed by 1=openly share, 2=leave out critical points, 3=avoid talking about, 4=lie or making a story, 5=It is not my issue, and recoded to share 1=openly and 0=not openly share. The median dichotomized the mean scores of 10 items to create four patterns: disagree-do not disclose, disagree-disclose, agree-do not disclose, and agree-disclose. Positive, negative, and ambivalent emotions toward adult children have been assessed by the scales and formula used by Lendon et al. (2013). A series of one-way ANOVA, F(3, 260)=4.41, p=.005, η=.05, revealed that participants in agree-do not disclose the pattern, M=3.15, SD=.90, reported the highest level of ambivalence. A post hoc test showed it was significantly higher than that of participants in disagree-did not share, M=2.16, SD=1.10. Disagree-do not disclose group reported the lowest score in positive and negative emotions among groups. Frequency of contact predicted disclosure in auxiliary analysis. The need for within and between differences in older parents’ agreement and disclosure patterns was discussed.

children who live farther away as less filial.However, financial support from more distant children raises perceptions that these children are meeting expectations of filial piety.In addition, having more frequent contact with distant children strengthens perceptions of them as being filial.Results suggest that weak filial piety perceived by older parents of their more geographically distant children in rural China-an area characterized by high rates of internal migration-is compensated by financial transfers and frequent communication.As research shows that filial piety perceptions are important to the well-being of older adults in Chinese populations, threats to its decline due to forces of modernization and any adverse consequences may be overcome by forms of intergenerational solidarity that involve contributions of money and time by children to their older parents.

NONPARENTAL CAREGIVER DIFFERENCES IN LOCUS OF CONTROL AND GPA OF GRANDCHILDREN AND FOSTER CHILDREN Maia McLin, and Danielle Nadorff, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, Mississippi, United States
There are approximately 5,950,690 children living with their grandparents, with about half being raised without a parent present.Children raised by non-parental caregivers are at risk of worse academic performance, and locus of control (LOC) is shown to relate to children's academic performance.However, differences between caregiver types and this relation are not well known.The current study hypothesized that caregiver type would affect the strength of the association between LOC and academic performance in children raised by grandparents versus foster parents.Participants (323 caregiving grandparents (GP), m age = 55.66 yr; 105 foster parents (FP), m age = 34.45yr) were recruited nationwide and surveyed via Qualtrics Panel Service.Measures included an adapted academic locus of control scale from the Child Trend's Student Survey, and a question rating the degree to which the child receives "mostly As and Bs." Controlling for age and socioeconomic status (SES) of caregiver, grandchildren had higher reported LOC, but did not differ in academic performance.Caregiver type was found to differentially affect the relation between LOC and academic performance, with a stronger association for foster children (GP r =.726; p < .001;FP r =.831; p < .001).A significant group difference was found (z =2.06; p < .05).These results suggest that kincare may buffer the impact of LOC on academic performance in children not raised by their parents.For those raised in foster care, it may be helpful to focus on increasing autonomy and sense of control regarding their grades.

OLDER PARENTS' PATTERNS OF AGREEMENT AND INFORMATION SHARING WITH ADULT CHILDREN AND THEIR EMOTIONAL OUTCOMES Noriko Toyokawa, Southern Oregon University, Ashland, Oregon, United States
The current study examined the effect of older parents' pattern of agreement/disagreement with their adult children's perceptions of their functional ability and their information disclosure/non-disclosure to their adult children on their ambivalent, positive, and negative emotions.Older parents, N=263, Mage=75.06,SD=5.49, participated in an online survey.Participants' agreement with adult children's ideas and caregiving practice to support 10 life issues were assessed by five categories: 1=agree, 2=disagree, 3=it depends, 4=it is not my issue, and recorded into 0=agree, 1=fully/partially disagree/not my issue.Participants' information sharing on the same items was assessed by 1=openly share, 2=leave out critical points, 3=avoid talking about, 4=lie or making a story, 5=It is not my issue, and recoded to share 1=openly and 0=not openly share.The median dichotomized the mean scores of 10 items to create four patterns: disagree-do not disclose, disagree-disclose, agree-do not disclose, and agreedisclose.Positive, negative, and ambivalent emotions toward adult children have been assessed by the scales and formula used by Lendon et al. (2013).A series of one-way ANOVA, F(3, 260)=4.41,p=.005, η=.05, revealed that participants in agree-do not disclose the pattern, M=3.15, SD=.90, reported the highest level of ambivalence.A post hoc test showed it was significantly higher than that of participants in disagreedid not share, M=2.16, SD=1.10.Disagree-do not disclose group reported the lowest score in positive and negative emotions among groups.Frequency of contact predicted disclosure in auxiliary analysis.The need for within and between differences in older parents' agreement and disclosure patterns was discussed.
Abstract citation ID: igad104.3068According to the U.S. Census, there are approximately 2.5 million grandparents raising grandchildren.Previous research has examined factors associated with grandparent and grandchild well-being; yet, few studies have considered the functioning of the grandfamily unit.Guided by family systems and attachment theories, the purpose of this study was to examine individual and relational predictors of grandfamily functioning, as reported by 95 custodial grandmothers raising adolescent (ages 12 to 18) grandchildren.Survey data were collected in-person or over the telephone from custodial grandmothers residing in the Southern U.S. To analyze the data, we conducted a hierarchical multiple regression.The first model included grandchild gender, the second model added grandmothers' parenting stress and attachment, and the final model further added grandmothers' reports of grandchildren's attachment, emotion regulation, and internalizing and externalizing behavior problems.The first model was not significant, but the second model was significant [F (3, 91) = 8.85, p < .001;R2 Δ = .22,p < .001],and explained 23% of the variance in grandfamily functioning, with less grandmother parenting stress predicting better grandfamily functioning.More secure grandmother attachment approached significance.The final model accounted for 34% of the variance in grandfamily functioning [F (7, 87) = 6.35, p < .001;R2 Δ = .11,p = .008],with better grandfamily functioning being predicted by less grandmother parenting stress and better grandchild emotion regulation.More secure grandmother attachment and greater grandchild internalizing problems emerged as trends.Implications for future research and systemic practice with grandfamilies will be discussed.Custodial grandfamilies often experience relational challenges related to parenting and the grandparent-grandchild relationship that would benefit from intervention.Social intelligence training (SIT), which focuses on improving socio-emotional skills via online, self-guided modules, holds promise for helping grandfamilies address their relational challenges.The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine SIT skills that custodial grandmothers and grandchildren utilize in their interactions and the impact of SIT on their relationship.The sample consisted of 27 dyads of custodial grandmothers and adolescent (ages 11 to 18) grandchildren enrolled in an RCT examining the effectiveness of SIT.Dyads who completed the SIT were randomly selected and completed individual, open-ended interviews over the telephone, after post-test but prior to the 3-month follow-up.Results of a thematic analysis revealed several themes related to the SIT skills grandmothers and grandchildren were utilizing including taking and understanding the other's perspective, attending to the nonverbal communication, engaging in active listening, reflecting on their treatment of each other, and slowing down communication to think before speaking.Analyses further revealed that grandmothers and grandchildren noted SIT-related improvements in their relationship, with themes reflecting improvements in the quality of communication, the frequency and intensity of conflict, understanding of each other, and sense of emotional connectedness.Those dyads that did not report relational improvements had a strong relationship prior to completing the SIT or the grandchild did not fully engage in the SIT.Directions for research and family-based interventions with grandfamilies will be discussed.This study examined the prevalence of the "Nine D's," a framework developed by Edwards and Ray for understanding the heterogeneity of reasons for which grandparents assume care of grandchildren (i.e., Death, Disease, Detention, Divorce, Departure, Drugs, Desertion, Delivery, Deployment) within a contemporary sample.Using a nationwide sample (N = 427) of custodial grandparents and foster

PREDICTORS OF FAMILY FUNCTIONING IN CUSTODIAL GRANDFAMILIES
: A SYSTEMIC PERSPECTIVE Khushbu Patel, Deneisha Scott-Poe, and Megan Dolbin-MacNab, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States [Funded by the National Institute on Aging (R01AG054571)] Abstract citation ID: igad104.3070THE 12 DS: AN UPDATE TO EDWARDS' AND RAY'S REASONS FOR NONPARENTAL CAREGIVING Acacia Lopez, and Danielle Nadorff, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, Mississippi, United States